Sunday, 22 February 2015

Deliciously Different Student Food Swap

Being a student, living away from home without proper discipline when it comes to food is pretty hard. And even though I'm three years into my degree, I'm still annoyed that I haven't struck up the best relationship with my studies and healthy food.

Sure, I eat lots of fruit and veg, but I feel like I'm not getting enough of the right amount of nutrients needed to fully boost my brain power and efficiency at uni.

I tend to be one of those people who instantly diss supplement meals/health powders before I looking into them. But how can I knock something without trying it for myself?

So I gave the Exante Deliciously Different program a go when they kindly sent me a pack to try! Although the package reads "diet", it's not just about weight loss, but also proper nutrition. It's about getting the right amount you need in order to see good changes in your body. After a bit of research, I found out from a paper by a researcher at Aberdeen Uni (represent!) that nearly 40% of people 18-25 in the UK are malnourished. Not a good stat at all! Especially as most undergrad and postgrad students fall into this age bracket.

My pack consisted of a mixture of shakes, savoury meals, puddings and drinks:

Toffee Caramel milkshake - This was by far my favourite drink. It sort of tasted like the butterscotch Angel Delight pudding I used to have as a child (but without the harmful additives).

Very Vanilla Shake & Go - I've been on the go in the early morning, batting uni assignments and didn't want to slip up. So this shake was really handy. I just unscrewed the cap, filled the bottle with 200ml of cold water and shook it like made until the power formed a thick milkshake. The vanilla flavour was tolerable, not delicious but okay.

Raspberry Crush Drink - I took me a while to get into this drink. I'm a raspberry-lover, but I don't really like it as a flavour on its own, especially in a drink.

Beef Casserole - This was my favourite hot meal by far. Well seasoned and a good portion, which kept me full in the library for six hours.

Moussaka - I struggles with this. But I think that's because I don't like moussaka. A part of me was so tempted to get rid and make a stir fry, but I stuck with it and washed it down with the lovely vanilla shake.

Indian-Style Daal Pot(with rice and lentils) - I really liked this, but i'm not sure why, as I'm not a fan of lentils or Indian cuisine as a whole. But it was a good portion and kept me full for hours.

Black Bean Pot - Oooh, this was yummy. I barely eat beans, but I wolfed this down!

Apple Crumble and Custard - this looked like hideous, creamy sludge when I prepared it... By it tasted divine! How does that work? I really wasn't expecting that. But it had just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. Plus the little chunks of apple added a lovely texture.

The verdict:

I can't stand being proved wrong, but the truth is, I really enjoyed my week with Exante. Two big thumbs up from me!

Not only am I more energised and can get through 3 hour lectures without reaching for a bar of chocolate, I've lost an inch from my hips and and inch from my lower waist. I wasn't even planning on losing weight, but it just happened and people have noticed!

This is definitely not down to just Exante alone, but it must have played a part. I do pilates for and hour in the morning and yoga for just under 45 mins (Yoga By Adrienne on YouTube is amazing!). On every Exante sachet, they recommend at least 20 mins of exercise a day, which is cool because most health brands don't bother with fitness advice.

Furthermore, I'm a sucker for good, neat packaging/sachets, and the design of these are wonderful. They tell you everything you need to know on the front, with extra info on the back - nice, simple and not confusing.

Thanks so much to Exante and The Hut Group for hooking me up! This experience has taught me a lot about not judging something before giving it a go!

If you are sceptical, but still want to give it a go, you can check out the individual foods HERE. They are currently doing 40% for a limited time!

Have you ever tried alternative meal plans before? What do you think of them? Let me know below!